Bessie (Music from the HBO Film) Debuts “Gimme A Pigfoot and A Bottle of Beer (2015 Remix),” Pairing Bessie Smith’s Original Recording with New Vocals by Queen Latifah and Enhanced Instrumentation Produced by Adam Blackstone and Queen Latifah

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is proud to announce the digital release of Bessie (Music from the HBO Film) on Tuesday, May 12. The official soundtrack for the up-coming HBO film will also be released on CD on Tuesday, June 2.

The biographic film Bessie, starring Queen Latifah as blues legend Bessie Smith, premieres on HBO on Saturday, May 16.

Bessie (Music from the HBO Film) premieres “Gimme A Pigfoot and A Bottle Of Beer (2015 Remix),” a postmodern reworking of Bessie Smith’s original recording featuring newly recorded vocals, ad-libs and raucous banter by Queen Latifah set to enhanced instrumentation remixed and produced by Adam Black-stone and Queen Latifah. “Gimme A Pigfoot and A Bottle Of Beer (2015 Remix)” is a dream collaboration between the Empress of the Blues and Queen Latifah that exemplifies the brilliance of each of the artists while celebrating the musical soul that unites their eras and generations.

“This is a project that has been close to my heart for many years….to not only star as Bessie Smith but to also produce the film and the soundtrack is a dream for me. Recording this music was an incredible journey and I am proud to be a part of it all.” – Queen Latifah

The album features modern performances of blues, jazz and swing classics including “Prove It On Me,” performed by Carmen Twillie; “See See Rider,” performed by Tamar-Kali; “Laugh Clown Laugh,” per-formed by Cécile McLorin Salvant; and two new instrumental arrangements from Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks: “I’ve Got What It Takes (But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away)” and “Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight.”

Legacy Recordings’ Bessie (Music from the HBO Film) is rounded out with authentic period recordings from Fats Waller & His Rhythm (“A Good Man Is Hard To Find”), Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (“[What Did I Do To Be So] Black And Blue”), Sippie Wallace (“I’m A Mighty Tight Woman”) and Kid Ory’s Creole Orchestra (“Ballin’ The Jack”).

An HBO Films presentation, Bessie stars Oscar® nominee Queen Latifah (“Chicago”) in the title role and focuses on legendary blues singer Bessie Smith’s transformation from a struggling young vocalist into “The Empress of the Blues,” one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s and an enduring icon today.

Bessie offers an intimate look at the determined woman whose immense talent and love for music took her from anonymity in the rough-and-tumble world of vaudeville to the 1920s blues scene and interna-tional fame. Capturing Bessie’s professional highs and personal lows, the film paints a portrait of a tena-cious spirit who, despite her own demons, became a celebrated legend.

Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is home to the world’s fore-most library of historically significant commercial recordings, a peerless collection of works by the most important musical artists of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Across a variety of platforms, the label offers contemporary music fans access to thousands of meticulously restored and remas-tered archival titles representing virtually every musical genre including popular, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, classical, comedy and more.

Founded in 1990 by CBS Records (rebranded Sony Music in 1991), Legacy has expanded on its orig-inal mission (preserving and reissuing back catalogs of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associ-ated CBS labels) to provide new and innovative avenues for artist and repertoire exposure includ-ing Grammy winning curated retrospectives, social media campaigns, Oscar winning soundtracks, new talent signings and groundbreaking campaigns for established artists and catalog.

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